What does incognito mean?
Word: Incognito
Part of Speech: Adverb and adjective
Meaning: Incognito means in a way that stops other people from finding out who you really are.
Synonyms: in disguise, anonymously
Antonyms: openly
Word origin: Comes from Italian incognito, from the Latin word incognitus.
How do you spell incognito?
Syllables: in - cog - ni - to
Tricky part: Students swap two letters in the middle and write incongito, because ng is such a familiar pair in English.
Watch out for: incongito, incongnito
Memory tip: In signal and in magnet the g comes before the n. Incognito follows them.
Incognito in a sentence
Example 1: The young king once travelled incognito through the countryside to see how people really lived.
Example 2: The author went to the book fair incognito and listened to readers talk about her novel.
Example 3: In a cap and a plain kurta, the cricketer walked incognito through the local market.
Fun Fact
Web browsers have borrowed the word: Google Chrome calls its private browsing window Incognito mode.
Practise the CREST Way
Back to the Roots
Choose the correct option:
The Latin word behind incognito, incognitus, means ___.
a) not known
b) not allowed
c) not finished
d) not awake
Show answer
a) not known. The Italian word kept this sense, so someone travelling this way stays unrecognised.
Spellacadabra
Choose the misspelt word:
a) incognitto
b) falsetto
c) vibrato
d) staccato
Show answer
a) incognitto. The t is single here, as in vibrato, though falsetto does double its t.
Sound Check
In which word is 'gn' pronounced differently?
a) gnaw
b) incognito
c) foreign
d) campaign
Show answer
b) incognito. Here both letters are sounded, one after the other; in the other three the g is silent.
Spell Probe
One word in the sentence is misspelt. Choose the meaning of that word:
The famous painter stayed incogneto at the hill resort, took long walks and enjoyed a quiet holiday.
a) without letting others learn your true name or rank
b) a period of time spent away from work
c) a person who makes pictures as an art or a job
d) a place people visit for rest or fun
Show answer
a) without letting others learn your true name or rank. Incogneto should have i after the n, and the word tells us nobody at the resort knew her.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A film star wants to fly incognito. What is she most likely to do?
a) post her flight details on social media
b) sign autographs for fans at the gate
c) wear a scarf and sunglasses at the airport
d) arrive with a band and a camera crew
Show answer
c) wear a scarf and sunglasses at the airport
2. Why would a restaurant reviewer choose to visit incognito?
a) to learn how the dishes are cooked
b) to be served like any ordinary customer
c) to get a bigger discount on the bill
d) to ask for a job in the kitchen
Show answer
b) to be served like any ordinary customer
